Reviews by johnnieoz:

Jet black body with minimal espresso foam & lacing inside my Jester King tulip. Aroma is all earthy tuber, sweet potato/yams & some coffee. Taste is very balanced, too balanced, beginning sweet and finishing bitter. Carbonation is ample but it's just a touch too chalky on the palate. I appreciate that it's only 8% abv though a beer like this would likely benefit from something closer to 10%.

Kudos to Ranger Creek for expanding our horizons, after the Bruery's Autumn Maple (made with yams) this is the second tuber ale I've had. It's good, almost very good. When I say it's too balanced I mean it's very sweet up front but finishes dry and nearly astringent. I want to believe its true identity has yet to emerge. A year might do wonders for this beer, so I'll keep one in the cellar and crack it open in another time zone late 2014. (901 characters)

S - Smells sweet, lots of sweet potato up front with some mild spices in the back.

T - Great flavor on this one. Sweet potato is at the forefront, followed by chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It's got a great balance...sweet, but not too sweet, and the spices add a great character without being overpowering.

Didn't know it was a sweet potato stout when I picked it up, but was very pleased to discover that it was. Never had a sweet potato stout before.

Poured into a snifter, this beer is a nice dark brown color with burgandy hues at the edges when held up to the light. Decent two finger dark brown head. Some lace. The nose is interesting, with an earthy sweetness to it, which makes sense considering the ingredients. Interesting, but otherwise underwhelming. Taste is also interesting - kinda funky and herbal. Sweet up front (with an almost unnatural flavor) and a boozy aftertaste. Mouthfeel is thinner than expected.

I'm not convinced that sweet potatoes and beer are a great combination, but this was a solid effort if nothing else. I like Ranger Creek and I'm glad they're pushing boundaries like this. This may not be their best outing, but it's nice to see. And it's certainly worth trying if you're so inclined. (920 characters)

12.7 fl oz brown glass bottle with black wax-ed over pry-off pressure cap acquired at my local bottle shop and served into an Avery stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Austin, Texas. Reviewed live. Expectations are below average given the brewery and series - which has been a constant string of disappointments. Batch 13. Date: 11/20. Reviewed live.

Served cold - straight from the fridge - and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a 3 finger wide head of lovely tan colour. It's a bit thin and not as full or rich as I'd hoped for. Smooth consistency. Complexion could be better, but it's got a nice shine to it. Retention is good - about 6-7 minutes. Little lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes. It's a nice supple head and seems pretty soft.

Sm: Dark malts, caramel, musty wood, hints of cardboard/infection, and sure - sweet potato/yam vegetable character. I also pick up on a ginger-like spice of some sort. Nutmeg. Vegetable gourd. Cream. To its detriment, I don't find any roasted barley.

No hop profile is obvious. There's some mild alcohol warmth. No yeast character is detectable.

It's an inoffensive aroma of average strength. I'm curious how the sweet potato character will work. It certainly seems sweet.

T: Hm. It's got an off-flavour which is luckily pretty tame, but is redolent of musty wood, a bit of peat, and acidic bacterial infection. The dark malt base feels pretty generic and lends the beer ample sweetness. Caramel. Nutmeg. Vegetable gourd. I wouldn't guess sweet potato if I tried the beer blind, but it does have a sort of casserole-esque yammy character to it I suppose. I'm not a big fan of the taste overall, but I appreciate the innovation. I find it too sweet overall.

Lacks balance. Build lacks cohesion and is far from gestalt. Not intricate, subtle, or complex. I guess the sweet potato lends it some nuance, albeit nuance that doesn't bring much to the flavour profile. Average duration of flavour. Below average intensity and depth of flavour.

Mf: Acidity is way too high. It's almost silky, which I like. Wet. Harsh and biting on the palate. Overcarbonated. A bit too thick, bordering almost on syrupy. The texture doesn't suit the flavour profile particularly well. Gushed. Decently executed.

Not oily, astringent, or rough.

Dr: Another sounds-good-on-paper beer from Ranger Creek that doesn't deliver on the potential of the premise. It's getting better as it's coming to temperature, but this really isn't a good beer. Points for experimentation, but I continue to be disappointed with Ranger Creek's small batch series and wouldn't recommend this to friends or trade partners. Largely a failed attempt at an imperial stout; there are far better beers in the style well below this price point (e.g. Ole Raspy, Storm King, Ten Fidy etc.).

A- Pours dark, appears quite thick. A white to tan head appears, one finger, with many fine bubbles. The layer of head seems very thick and does not move when swirled.

S- A lot of sweetness on the nose, what one would expect with a milk stout. Hot caramel, roasted nuts and lots of chocolate.

T- The chocolate and sweetness come out first. It is not too heavy, definitely drinks like an 8% abv stout. I taste some roasted and smokey flavors, and some spices on the back end. The spices can best be described as nutmeg and cinnamon, but they are rather hidden.

M- Medium bodied, a little thinner than I prefer my stouts. The carbonation gives a very foamy mouthfeel, something I am not finding too pleasing.

O- I feel this was a nice execution from Ranger Creek. An interesting nose and very decent taste made it a fun beer to drink. I certainly feel that it is their best effort yet in the Small Batch Series. (939 characters)